"The Northern Soul Scene" by VARIOUS (December 1998 UK Deram 'Decca Originals - On The Scene' CD Compilation of Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"...Baby, You Got It!"

The nine titles in this 'Decca Originals' CD Series (listed below) are each worth an essay alone - 'On The Scene' compilations pitched as I recall at less than a fiver and in some cases a mere four quid - representing amazing value for money in any man's language (then and now).

Originally released in late 1998 and early 1999 in the UK, each generously proportioned genre-themed CD gives unsuspecting punters a 25-track access to ultra-rare music that would cost a Euro Sceptic's bar tab to acquire the originals on 60ts vinyl. Each is aimed at the discerning collector for sure, but there is also a clever commercialism at work here – the ludicrously well-informed compiler JOHN REED having lined up the goodies to please the ear of the old hand and newbee alike. And of course, all those images of bodies throwing shapes on talcum-powdered floors...let’s get to our worlds turned upside down...

UK released December 1998 - "The Northern Soul Scene" by VARIOUS ARTISTS on Deram 844 805-2 (Barcode 042284480529) is a 25-Track CD compilation of 'Decca Originals - On The Scene' Remasters (all British released 7" singles) that plays out as follows (66:55 minutes):

1. I'll Hold You – FRANKIE and JOHNNY (April 1966 UK 7" single on Decca F.22376, B-side to "(I'm) Never Gonna Leave You")

2. So-Called Loving – DAVID ESSEX (1969 recording first issued on the 2LP set "Lost & Found" on Decca DPA 3083/4 in April 1980)

3. Nothing But A Heartache – THE FLIRTATIONS (November 1968 UK 7" single on Deram DM 216, A-side)

4. Don't Change It – FEARNS BRASS FOUNDRY (September 1968 UK 7" single on Decca F.12721, A-side)

5. Baby You've Got It – CLYDE McPHATTER (January 1969 UK 7" single on Deram DM 223, A-side)

6. Name It You Got It – MICKY MOONSHINE (October 1974 UK 7" single on Decca F.13335, B-side of "Baby Blue")

7. My Love – RONNIE JONES (January 1965 UK 7" single on Decca F.12066, A-side)

8. Ask The Lonely - THE FANTASTICS (January 1970 UK 7" single on Deram DM 283, B-side of "Waiting Around For Heartaches")

9. Stop Breaking My Heart – TOM JONES (January 1970 UK 7" single on Decca F.13061, B-side of "I (Who Have Nothing)")

10. Billy Sunshine – BILLIE DAVIS (1969 SPANISH 7" single on Decca MO 720, A-side - also on the 1970 UK LP "Billie Davis" on Decca SKL 5029)

11. Our Love (Is In The Pocket) – AMEN CORNER (on the 1968 UK LP "Round Amen Corner" on Deram SML 1021)

12. Whose Little Girl Are You – DANNY WILLIAMS (September 1967 UK 7" single on Deram DM 149, B-side of "Never My Love")

13. Heart Trouble – THE EYES OF BLUE (November 1966 UK 7" single on Deram DM 106, B-side of "Up And Down")

14. Everybody Needs Love – BOBBY HANNA (May 1968 UK 7" single on Decca F.12783, B-side of "Written On The Wind")

15. Picture Me Gone – DAVE BERRY (November 1966 UK 7" single on Decca F.12513, A-side)

16. I Wanna Know – JOHN E. PAUL (October 1967 UK 7" single on Decca F.12685, B-side of "Prince Of Players")

17. The Way You Do The Things You Do – ELKIE BROOKS (January 1965 UK 7" single on Decca F.12061, A-side)

18. I Just Made Up My Mind – JON GUNN (June 1967 UK 7" single on Deram DM 133, A-side)

19. Something Beautiful – ADRIENNE POSTER (February 1966 UK 7" single on Decca F.12329, A-side)

20. Reach Out Your Hand – THE BROTHERHOOD OF MAN (March 1971 UK 7" single on Deram DM 327, A-side)

21. Giving Up On Love – SONNY CHILDE (September 1965 UK 7" single on Decca F.12218, A-side)

22. My Smile Is Just A Frown Turned Upside Down – TRULY SMITH (March 1966 UK 7" single on Decca F.12373, B-side of "Love Is Me Love Is You")

23. All The Time In The World – STEVIE KIMBLE (April 1966 UK 7" single on Decca F.12378, B-side of "Some Things Take A Little Time")

24. Let The Good Times Roll – TONY NEWMAN (June 1968 UK 7" single on Decca F.12795, B-side of "Soul Thing")

25. Listen To My Heart - THE BATS (December 1966 UK 7" single on Decca F.22534, A-side)

NOTES:

Track 1 – Frankie is a pseudonym for Maggie Bell who would later front Stone The Crows; Johnny is Bobby Kerr

Track 6 - Micky Moonshine is Chris Rainbow

Track 22 – a Smokey Robinson song originally played by Carolyn Crawford

The pleasingly nice-looking 12-page colour booklet has JOHN REED extend an informed paragraph to each artist – The Flirtations jumping up in the air in their cardigans on some runway somewhere as the tuba-festooned Fearns Brass Foundry accompany a happening black couple through the painted archway of love - while Andy Fairweather-Lowe dreams of a solo career posing with Amen Corner (the inset pictured ticket stub for a Spring Bank Holiday Monday gig shows a mouth-watering line-up of Inez & Charlie Foxx, Jimmy James & The Vagabonds, Geno Washington and The Fantastics). There are no mastering credits, but it does state on the see-through spine 'digitally remastered from the original master tapes' for all of these sets and I’ve found that to be uniformly true. Take the stunning tambourine and strum Soul of "Ask The Lonely" by The Fantastics whose 45s elicit frenzy amongst collectors - gorgeous arrangements and a lead singer with a voice to die for. The huge attack of a throat-wrenching Tom Jones, hits home loud and clear on his typically melodramatic "Stop Breaking My Heart".

Northern Soul Scene opens on a glorious note - Maggie Bell who would of course become the front vocalist for Scottish rockers Stone The Crows - gives it some powerhouse Soul under the non-de-plume of Frankie on "I'll Hold You" - a mere 1965 B-side that will set you back £250 if you can find a copy. Speaking of spunky flipsides, Wiggan Scene dancers would have chewed up Mickey Moonshine and his wah-wah need-in-me guitar anthem "Name It You Got It" while Billie Davis earns her huge collectability with the Euro Decca 45 "Billy Sunshine" (I've never actually seen her lone self-titled "Billie Davis" LP that also contains this deep grooves treasure).  

Welsh boyo's Amen Corner give it some oh yeah baby as they inform us that love is in the pocket (thank God for that - don't want it dangling about boys) while The Eyes Of Blue tried a sort of Small Faces Mod groove with "Heart Trouble" (successfully too). John E. Paul taps the spirit of Jackie Wilson for his frantic "I Wanna Know" while the classy Truly Smith lifts things up with a cross-armed smoocher "My Smile Is Just A Frown Turned Upside Down" (why wasn't this gorgeous song not a hit). And on it goes. Billie Davis stares wistfully over a railing onto a misty Thames on the back inlay, that stripy suit oh so very 60ts. What a decade...

  

Titles in Deram's 'Decca Originals - On The Scene' UK CD Series

1. The Beat Scene (released December 1998 on Deram 844 799-2 - Barcode 042284479929)

2. The Blues Scene (released February 1999 on Deram 844 801-2 - Barcode 042284480123)

3. The Freakbeat Scene (released September 1998 on Deram 844 879-2 – Barcode 042284487924)

4. The Girls Scene (released February 1999 on Deram 844 897-2 - Barcode 042284489720)

5. The Mod Scene (released September 1998 on Deram 844 549-2 - Barcode 042284454926)

6. The Northern Soul Scene (released December 1998 on Deram 844 805-2 - Barcode 042284480529)

7. The Psychedelic Scene (released September 1998 on Deram 844 797-2 - Barcode 042284479721)

8. The R&B Scene (released September 1998 on Deram 844 798-2 - Barcode 042284479820)

9. The Rock 'n' Roll Scene (released March 1999 on Deram 844 892-2 - Barcode 042284489225)

Please note that some of these titles were reissued August 2007 on the budget label 'Spectrum' and "The Northern Soul Scene" has been reissued as a Digipak CD and 2LP Orange Vinyl set (45s wording centred on its front artwork) in March 2024 - Decca 5876826 (Barcode 602458768268) for CD and Decca 5876822 (Barcode 602458768220) for VINYL.